A Green Window of Opportunity for Developing Countries?

Artificial intelligence (AI) is rapidly emerging as a transformative tool in the pursuit of sustainable energy for development, offering new ways to accelerate progress toward universal energy access, decarbonization, and resilience. This paper explores how AI can enhance decision-making, optimize energy systems, and enable more inclusive, data-driven policy and planning in low- and middle-income countries. AI applications in energy forecasting, smart grids, demand management, and predictive maintenance can improve efficiency and reliability, particularly in decentralized renewable energy systems. Moreover, AI-powered geospatial analysis and natural language processing can unlock insights from large datasets, helping to identify underserved communities, tailor interventions, and monitor impact in real time.

However, realizing the full potential of AI in sustainable energy requires addressing key challenges. These include data scarcity, limited digital infrastructure, algorithmic bias, and the need for transparent, inclusive governance frameworks. The paper emphasizes the importance of capacity-building, cross-sector partnerships, and ethical AI design to ensure that AI tools are accessible, equitable, and aligned with development priorities.

Ultimately, AI offers a powerful opportunity to enhance the effectiveness of sustainable energy efforts—if deployed responsibly. By centering equity, transparency, and local ownership, AI can support a just energy transition that leaves no one behind.